The way of choosing the testers!

I think the way we (as in Greg and the others) choose beta testers for Kongai. They choose it by levels. Now, while your reading this, your probably thinking “Theres nothing wrong with that way!” but believe me, I truly disagree!

First and foremost, the staff members (besides Alison) believe the “level” system is based on activity of kongregate. But for me, no. I’ve been here since year 1, and look at my level! The level system is actually based on your gaming skills (or mind skills for some games), and your patience for hopping from game to game randomly rating them.

Secondly, theres another way. Some people get support from fans from their site! JayIsGames has managed to get hundreds of site refferals here. Well, actually, I don’t know how he did it but I think that he did use site help.

Third, I believe that some people may have special multi-acess public accounts they used to get multiple badges until the creator changed the password so that they can beta-test. I don’t think anyone did but if they did, they have unfair acess.

So the “level” system isn’t based on active playing in my opinion, but I think next time theres a beta test needed if ever then they should use a different system, no?

ah yes boometh, I’ve seen a lot of complaints like that. The only way I can make sense of it is that they wanted people with the most intense gaming skill to go first. I know, that reasoning is flawed too, so I just accept it the way it is

odds are a user with a higher level both plays many of the games on kongregate and is good enough to get a large number of the badges. Playing many games does not give a guaranteed aptitude for analyzing a game, but at the same time without personally knowing every single member there isn’t really a better way.

To be honest, I haven’t heard complaints like this from anyone who’s been added to the beta…

I actually kind of agree with thier ways of choosing beta testers. They should pick people who concentrate on getting badges and points and on evaluating and rating games. I’m not saying that the lower levelled people are no good or impatient with games. I’m just saying that if they want people who can evaluate, rate, concentrate, and give feedback about it, they should pick the higher levelled people because there is more proof that they are patient and focused

For evaluating games, there is the time where people just visit random games and randomly rate them pointfully just for the points. For badges, there is the time of recieving help from other members (don’t ask.) Plus, some people get a site of their own where they put up their referral links for support.

For waiting, Waiting isn’t so easy as some people think. I know I can wait, but its just that the wait is increasing.

To be honest, I haven’t heard complaints like this from anyone who’s been added to the beta… bq.

Well, I wasn’t really added to the beta.

There is no other efficient method to select beta-testers bq.

Number of forum posts? High-scores on strategy games? Number of cards?

There is no way to tell how active a person is aside from level and points bq.

Firstly, there are rate-bots. Second, people have some help from having sites used for REFERRING!

If they told people that they decided on forum posts, then the spam would increase 10-fold. High-scores on strategy games would be hard to calculate and a little irrelevant. Also, number of cards isn’t saying much, logging on once a week to get a medium challenge isn’t that hard.

I’m not in the beta, however, I understand that there isn’t really a easier, realistic, and fairer way to do it =P

The only way they might have been able to pick more active testers, in my opinion is to have based it on # of votes and comments for games. Granted, people do rate games for points to level up, and yes, people spam, but i think the majority of people rate games fairly, and give honest opinions in the games comments. If the point of the beta is to get feedback, then this obviously seems like a better way. Because people will start rating and commenting once the method of choosing testers in announced, testers should probably be chosen before the announcement, and no further testers should be let in. Just my opinion.

Backround on me: I’m already in the beta, I have no problems with how it was selected. I also am not an avid game rater or commenter, so this would have easily cut me out.

Choosing testers by level is the only fair way. Every other selection system would snub somebody. I think I’ve only submitted one bug report, does that mean I can’t test? Or because I’m not generally active in the chat room? High-scores would lean toward people who are experts in those games and number of cards just says that you were here for a long time. Number of forum posts leads to spam.

The point system is completely fair. Points have always been an important part of this site. Everybody knows how points work, and your level is important enough to be beside your name in chat. The point and level systems are there for a reason. Kong has got to use the levels sometime, and this is the perfect time. Don’t complain simply because you didn’t get in, I’m not in yet either. But just wait, and your time will come.

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